(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a toner, a method of producing the toner, a developer containing the toner, and an image forming apparatus using the toner.
(ii) Related Art
Hitherto, in electrophotography, a developed image has been generally obtained by forming an electrostatic latent image on an electrified photosensitive body, and then developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer containing an electrostatic image developing toner stirred and held by a developing unit. Finally, this developed image is transferred onto a transferred object such as paper and then heated by a fixing member, to be fixed onto the body.
The fixing temperature which is a temperature when the developed image is fixed onto the transferred object is desired to be made lower in order to save electric power, shorten the time period when the temperature of the fixing member is raised, prolong the lifespan of the fixing member, and attain others. In order to realize this, it can be conceived to set, into a low value, the glass transition temperature of a non-crystalline resin which is a primary component of conventional toner. At the same time, however, the toner may become soft and particles of the toner may aggregate easily.